Metal rolling apparatus with exchangeable rolls

ABSTRACT

A metal working machine having exchangeable rolls, with the two axial end faces of each roll being engaged by an abutment. One abutment is formed on the drive shaft rotatably supported in a double acting piston and protruding through the roll, while the other is formed on an axially movable journal housing which also is adapted to receive the forward end of the drive shaft.

United States Patent [191 Lorenz [451 Mar. 18, 1975 1 1 METAL ROLLING APPARATUS WITH EXCHANGEABLE ROLLS [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Th. Kieserling & Albrecht, Solingen,

- Germany [22] Filed: May 7, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 467,632

Horst Lorenz, Solingen, Germany [30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 11, 1973 Germany 2323768 [52] US. Cl. 72/238 [51] Int. Cl B21b 31/08 [58] Field of Search 72/238, 239, 237, 245,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,104,459 9/1963 Wendt 29/2'52 3,234,769 2/1966 Bretschneider 72/238 3,616,671 11/1971 Notari 3,842,640 10/1974 Schmidt et a1 ..72/250 Primary ExaminerMi1ton S. Mehr Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Edward E. Sachs {57] ABSTRACT A metal working machine having exchangeable rolls, with the two axial end faces of each roll being engaged by an abutment. One abutment is'formed on the drive shaft rotatably supported in a double acting piston and protruding through the roll, while the other is formed on an axially movable journal housing which also is adapted to receive the forward end of the drive shaft.

4 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure METAL ROLLING APPARATUS WITH EXCHANGEABLE ROLLS The invention relates generally to metal working machines and, more particularly, to those employing rolls for shaping or forming metal. More specifically, the invention relates to a rolling mill in which the roll stand is provided with rotatably mounted, exchangeable rolls, and in which each roll is axially located between and in positive bearing engagement with two opposite abutments with one bearing abutment being provided by a double-acting piston.

In conventional roll stands, for instance see German Pat. No. 1,146,467, the side faces of each roll are provided with a shoulder. A flanged end formed on each journal housing is caused to telescope over the shoulder when the roll is clamped into position. The clamping of the rolls is achieved by means of a clamping bolt passing through the roll and one of the journal housings. One end of the bolt is threaded and protrudes into the housing while the other end of the bolt carries a hydraulic nut which abuts the other journal housing. Radial spring wedges are provided to transfer the-drive torque to the rolls.

In order to facilitate the changing of rolls in such devices, the outer journal housing is formed at one end as a piston. The piston is provided to move in an annular element serving as a hydraulic cylinder. The latter is secured to the roll stand.

Such a construction will facilitate the changing of rolls in that the introduction of fluid pressure medium into the cylinder can provide a sufficiently large force to displace the journal housing, even when corrosion or galling of the mating surfaces has occurred. In order to change a roll, the hydraulic nut must first be loosened and then removed, together with the clamping bolt. Then, by introducing the fluid pressure into the annular element which serves as the hydraulic cylinder, the journal housing is displaced outwardly to such an extent that the corresponding flanged end is disengaged from the roll shoulder. After removal of the wedge, the roll can now be changed. Roll changing thus still requires several work steps or operations.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to simplify the operation of changing rolls and to make a more rapid change possible.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a roll stand which obviates the need for wedges to transfer the drive torque and for special clamping bolts.

An aspect of the present invention resides in the provision of a metal working machine, such as a rolling mill, having a roll stand and exchangeably arranged rolls. The more specific mechanism of the mill or stand includes a hollow, double-acting piston suitably disposed within the stand and a drive shaft which is in part rotatably carried within and by the piston. Each of the rolls, of the roll stand, is provided with a central aperture to receive the drive shaft therethrough. The shaft is formed with abutting means which bears against one axial end face of a roll. A rotatably supported journal housing is provided within the roll stand and formed with abutting means bearing against the opposite axial face of the roll and the drive shaft is provided with a journal portion which protrudes into the journal housing to support the shaft.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, andits scope will be pointed out in the appended claims,

In the drawing: 1 I

The single FIGURE drawing is a side view, partly in section, of a roll stand in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a roll stand having cross members 1 and 2 connecting together frame members 3 and 4. Each cross member forms in part a hollow cylinder 5 (only one is illusjustable housing 12. The housing 12 is axially and radially supported, see rolling contact bearings 13,14,15. One end of the journal housing 12 is cup-shaped for receiving shaft journal with the forward periphery 12a of the cup being radially enlarged and serving as an axial bearing abutment when roll 11 is clamped or biased into position. For the same reason the shaft 7 is provided with an annular shoulder 7b which engages roll 11 as soon as piston 6 is actuated by transmitting fluid pressure through line 15.

The axial position of housing 12 can be adjusted by means of a threaded sleeve 16, external thread 16a of which engages with a corresponding internal thread in member 17. Thus, by rotating sleeve 16 clockwise or counter-clockwise, the shaft 7, and therefore roll 11,

can be readily and quite accurately brought into operating position.

If it is desired to change the rolls, a fluid pressure me- I dium is supplied through line 18. The fluid pressure then causes piston 6 to move so far to the left (in reference to the drawing) that journal 7a is entirely withdrawn from contact with roll 11, so that the roll can be removed readily and without any appreciable effort and exchanged with another roll. The end of shaft 7 opposite to journal 7a connects to a cardan shaft 19 which is adjustable in length and can travel with piston 6.

While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is aimed, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a metal working machine having a roll stand and exchangeably arranged rolls, comprising:

a hollow double acting piston within the stand;

a drive shaft in part rotatably carried within and by said piston;

21 roll having a central aperture receiving said shaft therethrough;

abutting means formed on said shaft and bearing against one axial face of said roll,

a rotatably supported journal housing within said roll stand formed with abutting means bearing against the opposite axial face of said roll;

said shaft having a journal portion protruding into 4. In a metal working machine according to claim 1, and support means constructed and arranged for axially, radially and rotatably supporting said journal housing, said support means being disposed within the roll stand for relative axial displacement. 

1. In a metal working machine having a roll stand and exchangeably arranged rolls, comprising: a hollow double acting piston within the stand; a drive shaft in part rotatably carried within and by said piston; a roll having a central aperture receiving said shaft therethrough; abutting means formed on said shaft and bearing against one axial face of said roll, a rotatably supported journal housing within said roll stand formed with abutting means bearing against the opposite axial face of said roll; said shaft having a journal portion protruding into said journal housing and being supported thereby.
 2. In a metal working machine according to claim 1, wherein said journal housing is, in part, cupshaped.
 3. In a metal working machine according to claim 2, wherein the axial end of the cup-shaped portion of the journal housing is radially enlarged and forms the abutting means oF said journal housing.
 4. In a metal working machine according to claim 1, and support means constructed and arranged for axially, radially and rotatably supporting said journal housing, said support means being disposed within the roll stand for relative axial displacement. 